Laundry-marker.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907;

G'. L. DIXON. LAUNDRY MARK-ER. APPLIOATION rum) r312. 19, 1907.

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PATEN'I'ED MAY 21, 1907. v G. L. DIXON. LAUNDRY MARKER. Agrmou'lbx rrmnrng. 19, 1907.

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WITNESS E S: INVENTOR GaorqzL.l7i.zson,

3 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

GEORGE L. DIXON, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

LAUNDRY-MARKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

' Application filed February 19,1907. Serial No. 353,233

and the object of my improvements is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive machine for printing laundry marks on articles of clothing or other goods. This object I have accomplished by the mechanism which is hereinafter described and claimed, and which is illustrated in the drawings annexed hereto, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved laundry marker. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the marking-wheels andletter-index. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the numbering wheels, showing the method of adjusting same for the printing of any desired numeral. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of the printing-wheels and their mounting, showing the method of mounting them upon the shaft.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The printing-wheels l, 2, 3 and 4 are mounted on a horizontal shaft 6 rotatably other said wheels being rotatably mounted thereon. Said wheels are mounted close together as shown, and are provided with suitable signs, such as letters and numerals upon their edges, such signs being raised for convenient use in printing. The Wheel 1 has the letters of the alphabet imposed thereon in regular sequence, at desired regular distances apart, while the other wheels have the numerals from 1 to 0, arranged in sequence on their edges, spaced apart, but the distances of such numerals apart being the same as those of the letters on wheel 1. The numerals thus occupy but a fraction of the entire circumference of each wheel, while the letters occupy all the circumference of the letter-printing-wheel 1. This is done so that when any wheel is turned to the extent of one space, the characters on all the wheels will register horizontally.

I have adopted means whereby the numbering Wheels 2, 3 and 4 may be adjusted to any desired number of spaces and fixed in the desired position. vIn a proper position on the edge of each wheel, a hole is drilled radially to a desired de th, and in the bottom of this hole a sma spiral spring 42 is seated. Upon this spring a plunger 41 is fitted in said hole, projecting thereabove, and the upper part 40 of said plunger is still further extended radially outward of a smaller diameter, and furnished with a terminal button 37. Over said numbering wheels, supported by the upright 44, but s aced apart from said wheels is a hood 7, its form being curved concentrically over said wheels. Said hood 7 has a plurality of slots 8, parallel, and located over the middle part of the edge of each wheel, each slot having enlarged pinseats 9 at the same distances apart as the distances apart ofthe numerals on the wheels. The ins 40 project from said Wheels through said slots 8, and the enlarged plungers 41 being of greater diameter cannot pass through the slots, but may pass into the seats 9, being pushed outward by the springs 42. Thus, when it is desired to set one of the numbering wheels so that a particular numeral 20 may be in its printing position, the button 37 is pushed down until the upper part of the plunger '41 is disengaged from its seat 9, when the pin 40 may be moved the proper distance through the slot 8 and when the proper seat 9 is arrived at, the spring is allowed to push up the plunger into said seat.

This engages the plunger in said seat and pre-,

vents further rotation of the wheel, until 1t is desired to change to another numeral. The same process answers for each of the numbering wheels 2, 3 and 4, but a different method must be resorted to in adjusting the letteringwheel 1 to its proper rinting position. To the projecting end 0 the shaft 6 a hub is keyed by means of ,a key 19. This hub is provided with four radial arms 5, placed equidistantly from each other. The upper end of each arm has a hole'drilled therein to a suflicient depth, and in this hole a small spiral spring 17 is seated, while bearing upon foration an inwardly extending lug provided with a cylindrical end 15, which is adapted to fit into and engage the semi-circular indentations in the outer edge of the letter index plate 10. This plate is curved to a proper radius, so that the indices 14 may move over same without interference, and is supported by being attached to the upright 43. The

surface of the late 10 has parallel rows of index letters being the letters of the alphabet in regular sequence and such other letters as may be desired, the whole number being divided into four parts, whereof one part forms one row. For instance the first row may begin with the letter A, the second with J, the third with S, etc. The letters on the plate 10 correspond to the letters on the letterwheel 1, and are spaced the same distance apart, so that when the arm 5 is moved one space the letter-wheel is moved the same space to change the printing position of a letter thereon to the same extent. To adjust the position of such letter-wheel, one of the arms 5 is selected, that one bearing the first letter of the row in which the desired letter is to be found on the platelO, such letter being on the top of the button 16 as shown in Fig. 2, and the button being pressed down to disengage the cylinder 15 from the indentation 11, is moved around to a position where the index 14 on said arm is over the desiredletter on the plate 10. The s ring 17 is then allowed to move the cylin er 15 upward till it is engaged with the indentation 11 opposite said letter. The raised type-face of the same letter shown at 21 in Fig. 3 is then in its printing position. It will be observed that each index 14 is of a length suitable to indicate the letters in the row only to which its arm is appropriated, and thus no mistake can be made in adjustment. As the lug 15 is fixed in its indentation 11, the wheel 1 cannot move from its printing. position until the operator wishes to change the letter in the manner already outlined. The above manipulation of the printing wheels and their adjuncts fixes them so that each wheel has its selected character in the one horizontal row and printing position. The letters 21 and numerals 20 are necessarily reversed in order to print right side up to the view of the operator facing said wheels.

When the wheels have been thus adjusted, the printing may be effected by means of the mechanism as shown. To the base 26 of the machine is fixed at one end a block 22, which has studs 52 at its sides on which are pivoted the lower ends of levers 31. The upper ends of said levers are connected by means of a cross-rod 25 on whose ends are pivoted the lower ends of levers 29. The levers 29 have their forward ends bent downward at aright angle, shafts 33 and 49 having their ends pivoted respectively in the angle and in the ends of said downturned portions of said distantly apart, printin levers. These shafts carry elastic rollers 34 and 32 respectively, the former being the printing roller and the latter the inking roller. A tray 47 partially filled with an indelible ink is located on the base 26 at a proper position under the printing wheels 1 to 4, and in it is rotatably set an elastic inking roller 48. To each end of the shaft 25 is pivoted the upper end of a connecting-rod 27, whose lower end is pivoted in a lever 36 fulerumed at one end on a shaft 53 attached to the supporting leg 54, the outer end of said lever being provided with a foot-pad 35. A coiled spring 24 has. one end coiled about and secured to the shaft 25, while its other end is secured beneath the plate 23 on the block 22. This spring ordinarily keeps the rollers 32 and 34 up and outof contact with the printing wheels 1 to 4, but when the foot-lever 36 is depressed, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the said rollers are lowered until the inking-roller 32 contacts with the lower roller 48 from which it takes up a fresh supply of ink, and the printing-roller 34 contacts with the raised faces of the type characters on the printing wheels 1 to 4. When the said rollers are permitted to move upward the roller 34 moves away from the face of said type leaving a good space between them, and the inkingroller 32 ascends and inks over the face of said type. held upon the printing-roller 34 in close contact, and the foot-lever again depressed, and

thus the article is brought against the inked type-faces 20 and 21, and properly stamped.

On account of the fact that the levers 29 and 31 when in the printing position are in a straight line radial to the printing-wheels 1 to 4, the contact of the roller 34 on said typefaces is perfect and complete. If desired the machine may be operated by hand-power instead of the foot-treadle, by simply placing a hand on each extremity of the shaft 25 and bearing down until the levers 29 and 31 are in v the same line radial to said printing-wheels,

the stops 51 preventing further movement downward by contacting with the ends of the shafts 25 and 33. I have also shown a clamp 45, on the under side of the base 26, and by means of the thumb-screw 46 therein the machine may be secured to the edge of a table or other support.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A device of the character described, composed of a rotatable shaft, a printingwheel secured thereto having raised typefaces on its circumferential edge spaced equisectors rotatably supported on said shaft having raised typefaces on their circumferential edges spaced the same distance apart as the spaces between type-faces on the said printingavheel, a concentric index-plate over each printing- Then the article to be marked is IOO 'the same distance apart as the spaces between typefaces on the said printing-Wheel, a concentric index-plate over each printing sector provided with contact-seats, means connected to each printing-sector adapted to removably engage such contact-seats, an indexplate supported near said printing- Wheel and provided with contact-seats, and means connected to said shaft adapted to removably engage the contact-seats in the last mentioned indeX-plate.

3. A device of the character described, composed of a rotatable shaft, a printingwheel secured thereto having raised typefaces on its circumferential edge spaced equi distantly apart, printing-sectors rotatably supported on said shaft having raised typefaces on their circumferential edges spacedthe same distance apart as the spaces between typefaces on said printing-wheel, a

concentric index-plate over each printingsector provided with contact-seats, means connected to each printing-sector adapted to removably engage such contact-seats, an indeX-plate supported near said printing-wheel and provided with contact-seats, means connected to said shaft adapted to removably engage the contact-seats in the last mentioned index-plate, and means for bringing a fabric into printing contact with the type-faces adjusted for printin on said wheel and sectors.

4. A device of the character described, composed of a rotatable shaft, a printingwheel secured thereto having raised typefaces on its circumferential edge spaced equia distantly apart, printing-seetors rotatably supported on said shaft having raised typefaces on their circumferential edges spaced the same distance as the s aces between type-faces on said printing-w eel, an indexplate over each printing-sector provided with contact-seats, means connected to each printing-sector adapted to removably en age such contact-seats to aline certain typefaces thereon with a certain type-face on said printing wheel, and means for inking such alined type-faces before each impression taken therefrom.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 30th day' of Jan. 1907.

GEORGE L. DIXON.

Witnesses:

O. D. YOUNG, G. G. KENNEDY. 

